Cited by 56Physical Activity and HealthAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesCardiac Health and Mental Health

The effects of exercise on transdiagnostic treatment targets: A meta-analytic review

Jacquart, Jolene, Dutcher, Christina D., Freeman, Slaton Z., Stein, Aliza T., Dinh, Mike, Carl, Emily, Smits, Jasper A.J.·2019·Behaviour Research and Therapy

Abstract

Background The present study meta-analytically reviewed the effects of exercise on four transdiagnostic treatment targets: anxiety sensitivity (AS), distress tolerance (DT), stress reactivity (SR), and general self-efficacy (GSE).Methods We conducted systematic searches of peer-reviewed studies in bibliographical databases (Cochrane Library, psychINFO, PubMed) before April 1, 2018. Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) evaluating the effect of exercise on AS, DT, SR, or GSE using at least one validated outcome instrument in a sample of adolescents (≥13 years old) or adults were selected. We employed a meta-analysis of effects using random-effects pooling modeling for each treatment target.Results The systematic search yielded 28 RCTs meeting eligibility criteria. Exercise interventions had a large effect on reducing AS (six studies, Hedges's g = 0.72, p = .001), a medium effect on increasing GSE (eight studies, Hedges's g = 0.59, p < .001), and a small effect on reducing SR (ten studies, Hedges's g = 0.32, p < .001). Evidence from four studies suggested that exercise interventions had a small but non-significant effect on increasing DT (Hedges's g = 0.21, p = .26).Conclusions This meta-analysis provides preliminary evidence exercise can engage certain transdiagnostic targets. Further research is required to optimize exercise intervention parameters to achieve the strongest effects on these important mechanistic variables.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.brat.2018.11.007

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  • Exercise interventions confer moderately large improvements in self-efficacy across adolescent and adult cohorts (ES = 0.59).

    “Recent meta-analytic syntheses suggest that exercise interventions confer moderately large improvements in self-efficacy across adolescent and adult cohorts (ES = 0.59) (95).”

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Authors
Jacquart, J., Dutcher, C. D., Freeman, S. Z., Stein, A. T., Dinh, M., Carl, E., & Smits, J. A. J.
Affiliations
The University of Texas at Austin (US)
Corresponding author
Jacquart, Jolene
Venue
Behaviour Research and Therapy
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-04
Volume
115
Pages
19-37
ISSN
0005-7967 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2901262039
Cited by
56
References
152
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 4
FWCI
3.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Behaviour Research and Therapy (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
Keywords
exercise intervention, anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance, stress reactivity, general self-efficacy, exercise and mental health
MeSH terms
Anxiety, Humans, Stress, Psychological, Exercise, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Self Efficacy

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